


Breath

by ToNastyOrNotToNasty



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, Firebending & Firebenders, Gen, Parent-Child Relationship, Protective Parents, Sad Ending, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:55:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27583708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToNastyOrNotToNasty/pseuds/ToNastyOrNotToNasty
Summary: A monk's final minutes.
Relationships: Aang & Gyatso (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	Breath

**Author's Note:**

> Tw: Death, Genocide, Suffocation, and Burning.

My lungs seize in my chest as I enter room. Grief,smoke,and exhaustion overwhelmed them. The airbenders of the Southern Air Temple are consumed by the threat of the enemy, and all I can think of right now is,"Is Aang okay?" The thought of him being caught and soldiers burning him to ash sent an overwhelming pain through my lungs.

I hear a thundering crash behind me, and screams. Those screams will haunt me, either in nightmares or in my afterlife. The thought of what could possibly cause such piercing wails makes my blood run cold and my stutter over the anger that spreads through me. Those are my people. They are hurting, murdering, my people. How dare they.

I feel heat at my back and bend air around myself to protect me from the flames. These benders are different, their fire hotter,bigger,more powerful than anything I've ever seen from soldiers. Something had changed them, and it gave them the power to make the whole world ash.

"So this is the legendary Master Gyatso," one of the soldiers sneered, punching a fireball my way. I dodged, but the fireball grazed me, singeing my robes and blistering my skin. Nothing I can't take. But then another soldier makes a move,hitting my leg more directly. It burns. I scream like my people are.

"I don't get what the fuss is about. Besides, what are you gonna do,make things a little windy? You won't risk harming us cause of your pathetic passivism," another soldier jeered and taunted. Several more laughed while they punched and guided the flames towards me. I dodged as best I could, but some still hit. It hurt. It hurt so much. They were gonna kill me,for sure,but it seems they want to make me suffer. Let them. I have no intention of going down easy.

My bending surges, creating a tornado that nearly blows the roof off the building. The firebenders look at me,some in satisfaction and some and fear. "Do you think I'm weak now?" I control the cyclones trajectory, pulling men into the swirling wind and spitting them out. I blast gust towards others, knocking them back. My intent is clear, I have nothing but anger and contempt toward them. They aren't bringing me down without me kicking and screaming. 

One of the men, tall and broad, steps back. He points at me with two fingers, aiming at me. My heart. He's a lightning bender. Without thinking, I bend the very air away from him, extinguishing him. No sparks come from his hand that now lays limp on the floor.

The other firebenders freeze. It's just a second, but they freeze in shock at the fact an airbender killed, and killed one of their own. I mourn the creed of my nation that I broke, but something in me tells me it's an opportunity. The creed was broken and so why hold back. This is just before a massive wall of flames surges toward me.

I'm burned severely on my arms, but I manage to take the oxygen away. Fire can't burn without it. Wait. Fire can't burn without it. A horrible plot burns in my mind. I know the only way I'll end this is if I end them...and likely myself.

The flames billow around the shield of airless space, trying to creep into my domain. Yes, I know what I should do. Still, as the flames climb higher, I can't help but mutter an apology. Not to the men I'm fighting, for they made their choice. No, I apologize to Aang, my dear boy. I mutter a prayer, hoping he is safe.I thank the spirits that he left before this. I realize now I'll never see him again.

I feel my energy spread around the room. My eyes water from the effort,but all the air is sucked out of the room and and out of the lungs of every living being here. Including me.

One by one the men drop dead, faces blue and eyes bulging. My lungs work fruitlessly to fill with air that isn't here. I'm barely able to stand, but I keep going until every one of them drops. Then finally the last one lands on his face with his fellow soldiers.

I fall too,my last thoughts of Aang. I pray he is safe. I pray he can defeat the Fire Nation. I pray he can be happy.


End file.
